Block copolymers confined in a nanopore: Pathfinding in a curving and frustrating flatland

A decade of innovation and progress in understanding the morphology and structure of heterogeneous polymers in rigid confinement

When confined in nanoscale domains, polymers generally encounter changes in their structural, thermodynamics and dynamics properties compared to those in the bulk, due to the high amount of polymer/wall interfaces and limited amount of matter. The present review specifically deals with the confinement of heterogeneous polymers (i.e. polymer blends and block copolymers) in rigid nanoscale domains (i.e. bearing non-deformable solid walls) where the processes of phase separation and self-assembly can be deeply affected. This review focuses on the innovative contributions of the last decade (2010-2020), giving a summary of the new insights and understanding gained in this period. We conclude this review by giving our view on the most thriving directions for this topic.

Ionic Transport and Robust Switching Properties of the Confined Self-Assembled Block Copolymer/Homopolymer in Asymmetric Nanochannels

The self-assembly of block copolymers in a confined space has been proven to be a facile and robust strategy for fabricating assembled structures with various potential applications. Herein, we employed a new pH-responsive polymer self-assembly method to regulate ion transport inside artificial nanochannels. The track-etched asymmetric nanochannels were functionalized with PS_22k-b-P4VP_17k/hPS_4k blend polymers, and the ionic conductance and rectification properties of the proposed system were investigated. The pH-actuated changes in the surface charge and wettability resulted in the selective pH-gated ionic transport behavior. The designed system showed a good switching property to the pH stimulus and could recover during the repetitive experiments. The gating ability of the polymer-nanochannel system increased with increasing the weight of the homopolymer, and the proposed platform demonstrated robust stability and reusability. Numerical and the dissipative particle dynamics simulations were implemented to emulate the pH-dependent self-assembling behavior of diblock copolymers in a confined space, which were consistent with the experimental observations. As an example of the self-assembly of polymers in nanoconfinements, this work provides a facile and robust strategy for the regulation of ion transport in synthetic nanochannels. Meanwhile, this work can be further extended to design artificial smart nanogates for various applications such as mass delivery and energy harvesting.

Formation of homochiral helical nanostructures in diblock copolymers under the confinement of nanopores

The control of the homochirality of helical structures formed in achiral systems is of great interest as it is helpful for understanding the origin of homochirality in life.

Semicrystalline Block Copolymers in Rigid Confining Nanopores

We have investigated PLLA crystallization in lamellae-forming PS-b-PLLA confined to straight cylindrical nanopores under weak confinement (nanopore diameter D/equilibrium PS-b-PLLA period L0 ≥ 4.8). Molten PS-b-PLLA predominantly forms concentric lamellae along the nanopores, but intertwined helices occur even for D/L0 ≈ 7.3. Quenching PS-b-PLLA melts below TG(PS) results in PLLA cold crystallization strictly confined by the vitrified PS domains. Above TG(PS), PLLA crystallization is templated by the PS-b-PLLA melt domain structure in the nanopore centers, while adsorption on the nanopore walls stabilizes the outermost cylindrical PS-b-PLLA shell. In between, the nanoscopic PS-b-PLLA melt domain structure apparently ripens to reduce frustrations transmitted from the outermost immobilized PS-b-PLLA layer. The onset of PLLA crystallization catalyzes the ripening while transient ripening states are arrested by advancing PLLA crystallization. Certain helical structure motifs persist PLLA crystallization even if PS is soft. The direction of fastest PLLA crystal growth is preferentially aligned with the nanopore axes to the same degree as for PLLA homopolymer, independent of whether PS is vitreous or soft.

Order-order transitions of diblock copolymer melts under cylindrical confinement

The self-assembly behavior of AB diblock copolymers under cylindrical confinement is investigated using the self-consistent field theory. We focus on the impact of the confinement on the order-order transitions of three-dimensional morphologies by constructing two types of phase diagrams with continuously varying block compositions. One type is with respect to the block composition and the immiscibility parameter for various pore sizes, in which the order-order transitions are shown to be strongly impacted by the pore curvature and thus largely different from the bulk ones. Note that the morphologies are categorized by the intrinsical geometry of their domains, i.e., that helical morphologies are regarded as one type of cylindrical phase. Another type of phase diagram is with respect to the block composition and the pore diameter, which exhibits a number of interesting order-order transitions, especially the transition sequence from a straight line of spheres, to one straight cylinder and stacked disks as the pore diameter increases. A critical point is observed at which the stability region of the straight cylinder vanishes and thereby the spheres transform into the stacked disks continuously. The mechanism of these phase transitions is rationalized in the context of the bulk factors as well as an additional factor, i.e., the competition between the spontaneous curvature of the copolymer and the imposed curvature by the nanopore.

Probing the Effect of Molecular Nonuniformity in Directed Self-Assembly of Diblock Copolymers in Nanoconfined Space

Various complex self-assembled morphologies of lamellar- and cylinder-forming block copolymers comprising poly(dimethylsiloxane)-b-polylactide (PDMS-b-PLA) confined in cylindrical channels were generated. Combining top-down lithography with bottom-up block copolymer self-assembly grants access to morphologies that are otherwise inaccessible with the bulk materials. Channel diameter (D) was systematically varied with four diblock copolymers having different compositions and bulk domain spacing (L0), corresponding to a range of frustration ratios (D/L0 from 2 to 4). Excessive packing frustration imposed by the channels leads to contorted domains. The resulting morphologies depend strongly on both D/L0 and copolymer composition. Under several circumstances, mixtures of complex morphologies were observed, which hypothetically arise from the severe sensitivity to D/L0 combined with the inherent compositional/molar mass dispersities associated with the nonuniform synthetic materials and silicon templates. Stochastic calculations offer compelling support for the hypothesis, and tractable pathways toward solving this apparent conundrum are proposed. The materials hold great promise for next-generation nanofabrication to address several emerging technologies, offering significantly enhanced versatility to basic diblock copolymers as templates for fabricating complex nanoscale objects.

Structure and Dynamics of Asymmetric Poly(styrene-b-1,4-isoprene) Diblock Copolymer under 1D and 2D Nanoconfinement

The impact of 1- and 2-dimensional (2D) confinement on the structure and dynamics of poly(styrene-b-1,4-isoprene) P(S-b-I) diblock copolymer is investigated by a combination of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Grazing-Incidence Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (GISAXS), and Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS). 1D confinement is achieved by spin coating the P(S-b-I) to form nanometric thin films on silicon substrates, while in the 2D confinement, the copolymer is infiltrated into cylindrical anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) nanopores. After dissolving the AAO matrix having mean pore diameter of 150 nm, the SEM images of the exposed P(S-b-I) show straight nanorods. For the thin films, GISAXS and AFM reveal hexagonally packed cylinders of PS in a PI matrix. Three dielectrically active relaxation modes assigned to the two segmental modes of the styrene and isoprene blocks and the normal mode of the latter are studied selectively by BDS. The dynamic glass transition, related to the segmental modes of the styrene and isoprene blocks, is independent of the dimensionality and the finite sizes (down to 18 nm) of confinement, but the normal mode is influenced by both factors with 2D geometrical constraints exerting greater impact. This reflects the considerable difference in the length scales on which the two kinds of fluctuations take place.

Three-dimensional nanofabrication by block copolymer self-assembly

Thin films of block copolymers are widely seen as enablers for nanoscale fabrication of semiconductor devices, membranes, and other structures, taking advantage of microphase separation to produce well-organized nanostructures with periods of a few nm and above. However, the inherently three-dimensional structure of block copolymer microdomains could enable them to make 3D devices and structures directly, which could lead to efficient fabrication of complex heterogeneous structures. This article reviews recent progress in developing 3D nanofabrication processes based on block copolymers.

Segmented helical structures formed by ABC star copolymers in nanopores

Self-assembly of ABC star triblock copolymers confined in cylindrical nanopores is studied using self-consistent mean-field theory. With an ABC terpolymer forming hexagonally-arranged cylinders, segmented into alternative B and C domains, in the bulk, we observe the formation in the nanopore of a segmented single circular and non-circular cylinder, a segmented single-helix, and a segmented double-helix as stable phases, and a metastable stacked-disk phase with fourfold symmetry. The phase sequence from single-cylinder, to single-helix, and then to double-helix, is similar as that in the cylindrically-confined diblock copolymers except for the absence of an equilibrium stacked-disk phase. It is revealed that the arrangement of the three-arm junctions plays a critical role for the structure formation. One of the most interesting features in the helical structures is that there are two periods: the period of the B/C domains in the helix and the helical period. We demonstrate that the period numbers of the B/C domains contained in each helical period can be tuned by varying the pore diameter. In addition, it is predicted that the period number of B/C domains can be any rational in real helical structures whose helical period can be tuned freely.

Simulation-aided design and synthesis of hierarchically porous membranes

Free-standing silica membranes with hierarchical porosity (ca. 300 nm macropores surrounded by 6-8 nm mesopores) and controllable mesopore architecture were prepared by a dual-templating method, with the structural design aided by mesoscale simulation. To create a two-dimensional, hexagonal macropore array, polymeric colloidal hemisphere arrays were synthesized by a two-step annealing process starting with non-close-packed polystyrene sphere arrays on silicon coated with a sacrificial alumina layer. A silica precursor containing a poly(ethylene) oxide-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene) oxide (PEO-PPO-PEO) triblock-copolymer surfactant as template for mesopore creation was spin-coated onto the support and aged and then converted into the free-standing membranes by dissolving both templates and the alumina layer. To test the hypothesis that the mesopore architecture may be influenced by confinement of the surfactant-containing precursor solution in the colloidal array and by its interactions with the polymeric colloids, the system was studied theoretically by dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations and experimentally by examining the pore structures of silica membranes via electron microscopy. The DPD simulations demonstrated that, while only tilted columnar structure can be formed through tuning the interaction with the substrate, perfect alignment of 2D hexagonal micelles perpendicular to the plane of the membrane is achievable by confinement between parallel walls that interact preferentially with the hydrophilic components (PEO blocks, silicate, and solvent). The simulations predicted that this alignment could be maintained across a span of up to 10 columns of micelles, the same length scale defined by the colloidal array. In the actual membranes, we manipulated the mesopore alignment by tuning the solvent polarity relative to the polar surface characteristics of the colloidal hemispheres. With methanol as a solvent, columnar mesopores parallel to the substrate were observed; with a methanol-water mixed solvent, individual spherical mesopores were present; and with water as the only solvent, twisted columnar structures were seen.

Soft confinement-induced morphologies of diblock copolymers

The self-assembly of diblock copolymers under soft confinement is studied systematically using a simulated annealing method applied to a lattice model of polymers. The soft confinement is realized by the formation of polymer droplets in a poor solvent environment. Multiple sequences of soft confinement-induced copolymer aggregates with different shapes and self-assembled internal morphologies are predicted as functions of solvent-polymer interaction and the monomer concentration. It is discovered that the self-assembled internal morphology of the aggregates is largely controlled by a competition between the bulk morphology of the copolymer and the solvent-polymer interaction, and the shape of the aggregates can be non-spherical when the internal morphology is anisotropic and the solvent-polymer interaction is weak. These results demonstrate that droplets of diblock copolymers formed in poor solvents can be used as a model system to study the self-assembly of copolymers under soft confinement.

Geometric frustration phases of diblock copolymers in nanoparticles

The geometric frustration phases are investigated for diblock copolymers in nanoparticles with neutral surfaces using real-space self-consistent field theory. First, a rich variety of geometric frustration phases with specific symmetries are observed in the polymer nanoparticles with invariable diameters by constructing the phase diagrams arranged as the volume fraction and Flory-Huggins interaction parameter. Most of the space in the phase diagram is filled with phases with strong symmetries, such as spherical or cubic symmetries, while a number of asymmetric or axisymmetric phases are located in a narrow space in the diagram. Then the geometric frustration phases are examined systematically for the diblock copolymers with special polymer parameters, and a rich variety of novel frustration phases with multilayered structures are observed by varying the diameters of the nanoparticles. Furthermore, the investigations on the free energies indicate that the transitions between these frustrated phases are first-order, and the formation mechanism of the frustration phases is reasonably elucidated.

Block copolymer nanocontainers

Using cell dynamics computer simulation, we perform a systematic study of thin block copolymer films around a nanoparticle. Lamellar-, cylinder-, and sphere-forming block copolymers are investigated with respect to different film thicknesses, particle radii, and boundary conditions at the film interfaces. The obtained structures include standing lamellae and cylinders, "onions", cylinder "knitting balls", "golf ball", layered spherical, "virus"-like and mixed morphologies with T-junctions and U-type defects. The kinetics of the structure formation and difference with planar thin films are discussed. Our simulations suggest that novel porous nanocontainers can be formed by the coating of a sacrificial nanobead by a block copolymer layer with a well-controlled nanostructure. In addition, first scanning force microscopy experiments on a model system reveal surface structures similar to those predicted by our simulations.

Nanostructures self-assembled in polymer solutions confined in cylindrical nanopores

Polymer nanostructures self-assembled from solutions confined in cylindrical nanopores were investigated via Monte-Carlo simulations. The nanostructures, including some novel ones, were self-assembled under a wide range of conditions. It is shown that the interactions of the segments with the wall, reflecting the wetting/dewetting by the polymer segments of the wall, constitute a crucial factor in the nanostructure formation. When there are attractive interactions between the segments of a homopolymer or between one kind of segment of a copolymer and the wall, short nanorods, long nanorods, and long nanorods containing channels are generated, and the diameters of the nanostructures are close to the diameter of the cylindrical nanopores. When the above interactions are repulsive, nanospheres, short nanorods, nanocapsules, long nanorods, and nanocylindroids are formed, and generally, the diameter of the nanostructure is smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical nanopores because of the formation of a depletion layer near the wall of the cylindrical nanopores. Our results also indicate that nanostructures that occupy the entire height of the nanopores are more easily generated in nanopores with larger diameters. It should be noted that the nanostructures formed from solutions are usually irregular and cannot be characterized by a unique diameter.

Continuous concentric lamellar block copolymer nanofibers with long range order

Fibers with long-range ordered internal structures have applications in various areas such as photonic band gap fibers, optical waveguides, wearable power, sensors, and sustained drug release. Up to now, such fibers have been formed by melt extrusion or drawing from a macroscopic preformed rod and were typically limited to diameters >10 microm with internal features >1 microm (Abouraddy, A. F.; et al. Nat. Mater. 2007, 6, 336). We describe a new class of continuous fibers and fibrous membranes with long-range ordered concentric lamellar structure that have fiber diameters and feature sizes 2-3 orders of magnitude smaller than those made by conventional methods. These fibers are created through confined self-assembly of block copolymers within core-shell electrospun filaments. In contrast to the copolymer in bulk or thin films, the domains of the concentric lamellar structure are shown here to vary quantitatively with (radial) position and to exhibit a novel dislocation that accommodates variations in fiber diameter robustly, permitting for the first time the realization of long-range order in technologically meaningful, continuous fibers with approximately 300 nm diameter and 50 nm radial period.